Modern tents combine high-tech materials with compact design to create a lightweight, easy-to- assemble and sturdy shelter. Whether you choose a large cabin tent for a family or a one-person dome, your tent will have several different parts. All the parts work together to keep out rain, hold in warmth and make your camping trip more comfortable.
Poles
Poles provide the frame to hold up your tent. Tent poles may be rigid, and made of aluminum or other metal, or semi-rigid and fashioned of fiberglass or metal. Rigid poles have several sections that fit together to form a long pole, and then break down into individual pieces for transport. Semi- rigid poles link together with shock cords. This keeps the sections together but allows you to fold them for storage. Shock-corded poles go together quickly since you don't have to match up different sections.
Inner Tent
The inner tent is the main body of the tent that forms the walls, ceiling and floor of the structure. Inner tents may be made of waterproofed canvas, but more modern tents use nylon and polyester to make very lightweight, breathable structures. Most tents have double floors, and some may include a separate groundsheet. Inner tents usually feature zippered doors, windows or vents to let in light and air. Inner tents come in various shapes, including domes, tunnels, A-frames and cabins.
Tent Stakes
Stakes hold your tent to the ground and keep it from blowing away. Stakes may be plastic or metal, resembling hooks, nails or screws. Drive stakes in with a mallet and angle them inward to anchor the tent. Some stakes drive into grommets along the edges of the tent, while others attach to guy ropes extending from the tent.
Rain Fly
A rain fly is a separate, waterproof sheet that forms a roof over the inner tent. As the name suggests, the rain fly keeps out rain. Unlike the inner tent, the rain fly isn't permeable. Incorporating a rain fly into the tent design allows manufacturers to use a lighter fabric for the inner tent. It may have separate pole or attach to poles that extend above the inner tent and keep the water off the tent.
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